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Basil Brush interview (January 2008) |
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The vulpine king of comedy is back to host CBBC's revamped version of classic Saturday-morning show Swap Shop. He talked to Paul Jones about his career, Kylie and bringing the show into the 21st century.
You sound busy…?
I am very busy at the moment. Not only are we rehearsing Swap Shop ready to go live on Saturday morning but I'm doing my panto in the evening as well. So of course I'm being pulled from pillar to post and from the post back to the pillar, then back to the post again - and somewhere in the middle I have a bit of a sleep.
I'm very excited about it though. I can't wait to get on the air!
Why are you bringing Swap Shop back?
For three very good reasons. Firstly, it's a brilliant idea. What could be better than the children of this great nation swapping things they don't want for things that they do want?
Secondly, there are more swaps about the place now than ever before. Every child has something they don't want - DVDs, action figures, computer games. And it's about recycling - don't waste it, swap it! Swap things, save the world!
And thirdly, they have a very dashing new host. He's just as furry as the old presenter [Noel Edmonds] and with just as bad taste in clothes.
And how will you be bringing the show up to date?
Well, I'm a digital fox for a digital age, you see. And the whole idea is that boys and girls can go online to see the items to be swapped that week - some will be exclusively swapped on the internet - and they'll be able to phone us on the show too and we'll organise the swaps on air, and we'll be talking to the boys and girls down their web cams as well.
We've also got the biggest games that you'll ever see on British television. Huge games with gags and with lots of gunge. And lots of sketches as well. You name it, we've got it - apart from George Clooney.
Noel Edmonds and co, the presenters of the original show, formed a band and had a top 20 hit. Do you have any plans to release a record?
My voice is one that makes grown men cry - cry, "Stop it! We can't take it any longer!" Boom boom!
But I saw Kylie on The X Factor and I thought I'd love to do a duet with her 'cos we're the same height. Or maybe her brother Dannii. But if I could sing with Kylie, well, she should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky. So would I, especially if she wore what she wore when she was on The X Factor…
What music do you listen to?
I'm very much into garage, especially in my car.
Oh yes? What do you drive?
A Rolls Canardly. Rolls down one hill and can 'ardly get up the next! Boom boom!
All the celebrity guests on Swap Shop will have to do swaps too. If you could swap something with a celeb, who would it be and what would you want?
I would like to swap with Girls Aloud, because you get five swaps for the price of one. And I wouldn't mind their sweaty socks from their last tour.
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You'll be working alongside Barney Harwood (left), who's recently been presenting Prank Patrol. Are you worried that you'll end up being the butt of some of his practical jokes?
Are you talking about bottoms again? Does my boom boom look big in this?
That's a book title if ever I heard one. That could be your celebrity diet book.
It could, couldn't it? I'm just going to write that one down.
As for pranks, my philosophy is I don't mind being the butt of any joke as long as it gets a laugh. Because laughter's the best medicine. Although if you're really sick, call an ambulance.
Over the years you've met countless important people and celebrities, including the Queen and the PM…?
The Queen's great because she's got clean bins. If you go to a party at her place they're dead posh. So I like to go through them at the end of an evening.
And the Prime Minister was a very good dancer.
Tony Blair?
Oh no, that was Lionel Blair wasn't it? They still call him Twinkle Toes you know.
You and Lionel have both been in show business for quite a while now.
I could probably celebrate my centenary in the business in fox years. I'm hoping I'll get a telegram from the Queen and she'll give me a knighthood. She could give it to me on the 21st of December and I would be Basil Brush, shortest knight of the year. Boom boom!
In 2005 you won the Weakest Link. Is there no end to your talents?
Well some people think there's no beginning to my talents. But I can assure them it wasn't fixed - despite being a BBC competition.
Ahem, yes. You beat Christopher Biggins in the final?
I always like to say very politely, I stuffed him. But I did pantomime with Christopher Biggins last year and we had a great time. Actually, I was hoping I was going to go into the jungle with him [on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!] but they decided I had a distinct advantage living in the wild. And then I thought about all the bugs and berries. I said, "Listen mate, I don't want to get back to nature, I want to get back to the hotel!"
But yes, it was marvellous being able to beat Chris in the final. It was most unexpected. And they asked me back to do the 1,000th edition and I came second in that too. People think I'm daft as a brush, but actually I'm cunning as a fox. Anne [Robinson] and I are just two "gingers" who need to stick together, like oranges in a blancmange. But only one of us is a natural orange…
**
Catch Basil's Swap Shop every Saturday at 9am as part of CBBC on BBC2.
And check out the Basil's Swap Shop website to get swapping!
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